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Common Sense Media says

Users say

One of the worst family movies ever! Painful to watch.

Ugh, this movie was terrible. It just went on and on and I was hoping it would get better but it never did. Rosie O'Donnell was the worst person for the role of nanny. I thought this movie had terrible messages with the bullying that went on. Then the revenge was horrible to watch especially when she was carving the frenemies names in the wooden desk top. Wow! Sorry I let my kids watch it.

Great!

I was a huge fan of this movie when my cousin introduced it to me at age...8 I think? The storyline is realistic, but not boring as some realistic films can be for kids. This film is very funny and will keep kids of all ages entertained. The acting in this movie is quite good. Many people I know who saw this movie as a kid decided that they wanted to follow in Harriet's footsteps and keep a notebook themselves. That encourages kids to be observant (well, maybe a little TOO observant, in Harriet's case). I read the book, too, and I prefer this version. Don't even bother with "Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars" though, that movie was awful.

Good story, but you will need to talk to your kids about some things

This is realistic film about a girl who writes nasty personal things in her diary and her friends and classmates find out and all turn against her and bully her. I loved this film and thought the bullying was realistic, but not too intense so that kids could still watch it. The film doesn't initially have a good moral, because Harriet gets revenge on her friends. But she learns from her mistakes. Harriet also goes into the homes of someone and hides and it appears she goes on property she shouldn't be on as well a few times. You may want to talk to your kids about how this is wrong too.

I lived the Life of Harriet the Spy

When I was nine years old, my mother first read to me the book Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. I was enthralled by the thought that this young girl could be a spy. Then, when I was introduced to the movie a year later I lived the life of Harriet. It inspired me to start a journal in which I recorded every around me so that I wouldn't miss anything. It took me months to sign my own name at the bottom instead of Harriet M. Welsh.
The movie is full of kid-friendly humor and has a great story line. A must see for any child.

Not at all good.

This movie blowed chuncks.The characters are stupid and the jokes are lame.The story is boring as dishwater and the theme song is just ANNOYING! Its just as boring as that horrible show,Hey Dude.Harriet really needs to dump that boy she has a crush on.Please don't watch this movie!

Harriet the Spy Review

Great movie with great messages. However, there is a lot of bullying. Harriet writes stuff about her friends + kids in her class in her privet notebook which gets stolen by them. They gang up on her and than she severely gets revenge. Great messages about not to bully. At one point in the movie Harriet slaps the biggest bully, Marrion Hawthorn for pouring paint on her.

Horrible role model. Agony to watch.

Harriet and her friends behave horribly - name calling, planning to poison the "bad" kids, planning to stink bomb the school play. Harriet herself is rude, talks back to her parents and writes horrible things in her private notebook.
When the notebook is read to her friends she becomes the outcast and is bullied in a frightening manner. Instead of apologizing, she wages war against the entire class, becoming a bully herself and a cruel prankster. She does nothing positive until 80 minutes into the movie and even then, her apologies are whispered and pouty and she hasn't really learned her lesson. She has a happy ending, but it's not because she changes her ways or apologizes.
In the last 5 minutes, Harriet narrates a bunch of lovely thoughts about accepting others etc.. Too little, too late. She's just been a brat for the whole movie and it's been agonizing watching her. Terrible movie.

Wonderful!

This is such a cute movie, I remember watching it in fourth grade and my whole class laughed their brains out. I have seen many versions of this movie and I'm not quite sure if this is the one where they hang the girl's bra on the flagpole, I apologize if this is that version. Also, kids may want to start a notebook like Harriet.

Harriet the Spy crazy or enthusiastic?

Having seen this movie i this movie with my two daughter ages 7 and 9 i think this movie is really good. It made my older daughter want to become a spy. She says she won't go into people's houses like Harriet but she will help put away bad guys. Anyone with a child about 7-11 should have them watch the movie. When i was younger my mother read me the book and i would try to act just like her!

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